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MURRIETA â" Wildomar Elsinore and Vista Murrieta played a non-league boys basketball game Tuesday night that wasnât quite the quintessential tale of two halves.

It was more the tale of three quarters and one quarter. Elsinore dominated the first three quarters and that proved enough to win, 56-44, but Vista Murrieta woke up in the fourth quarter and almost made a game of it.

Had Elsinore not missed 14 of 25 second-half free throws, including eight of 16 in the fourth quarter, it may never have been close. As it was, the Broncos scored 23 points in the fourth quarter after scoring only 21 in the first three, which, as coach Andy Rucker said, is a little bit more indicative of how the team has played through 10 games this season.

âWeâre certainly not shooting 21 percent, like we did in the first half, throughout the season,â Rucker said.

Reynaldo Solorzano had 21 points and six rebounds, Deven Riley had 14 points and six rebounds, and Allan Stubbs scored 10 points for Elsinore (6-4).

Jeremy Zorotovich had 14 points and seven rebounds and Anthony White had 10 points for Vista Murrieta (4-6). The Broncos have lost four in a row and five of six.

Elsinore led 21-15 at halftime and expanded that to 41-21 with a 17-6 third-quarter advantage, as Solorzano scored 10 points.

Zorotovich made two free throws, White had a rebound basket and Zorotovich scored on a layup as the Broncos matched their total points in the first and third quarters in just the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, forcing an Elsinore timeout.

After the break, Vista Murrietaâs Evan Roberts headed toward an open rim before Riley suddenly appeared to block the shot. The Tigers quickly turned defense to offense and Preston Beverly, spotted up in the corner, nailed a 3-pointer and the lead was 44-30.

âThat Deven Riley kid is pretty good,â Rucker said. âI donât know where he came from but heâs pretty good.â

A Spencer Benson 3-pointer with 3:03 left cut the lead to 49-37 as the Broncos tried to chip away. But even 50 percent from the line in the quarter was enough for the Tigers to hold onto the victory.

âWe just have to work on free throws,â Riley said. âWe came out focused but at the end, thatâs the problem. We always lack focus at the end.â

âWith the flow of the game in the first half, where we couldnât put the ball in the basket, that makes it tough to come back from,â Rucker said. âWhen we go two, two and a half quarters of just flat basketball and missing shots, thatâs tough.â

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